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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · suit · dip · stand · lean · file · wake · charge

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wake — a trail
  4. scale — in music
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. lean — to bend
  9. file — a tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lean — thin
  12. stand — to bear
  13. suit — in cards
  14. file — a document
  15. charge — electricity
  16. file — a line of people
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. charge — in control
  22. suit — clothes
  23. scale — size or range
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com